The Perfect Replacement Groom

Cole's brow furrowed deeply, his gaze fixed irritably on my empty hand. "Can you stop with the games? I told you I'd marry you, and I meant it. There's no need for these little manipulative tricks."

Olivia tugged at his sleeve, pouting. "Cole, this is the latest limited edition! I've been trying to get my hands on it forever!"

His frown softened as he handed her the ring box. "Want to try it on?"

Her eyes lit up, and she reached for the box.

I caught her wrist, my voice turning cold. "Did no one ever teach you not to touch things that don't belong to you?"

Before I'd even applied any pressure, Olivia's eyes welled up, and she cried out in pain.

Cole panicked and shoved me aside. My lower back slammed into a sharp table corner, and the agony made my vision go white.

Olivia blinked back tears, her voice accusatory. "I just wanted to look. Why did you have to be so rough?"

Cole's face twisted with concern for her as he shouted at me. "She's crying from the pain, Avery! Don't you think you've gone too far?"

He didn't even notice my ashen face, the result of genuine agony.

It was always like this. Whenever Olivia so much as furrowed her brow or shed a single tear, he'd rush unwaveringly to her defense.

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and held out my hand. "Those are my wedding rings. Give them back."

His expression hardened as he pressed the box into Olivia's palm. "This style isn't right for wedding bands. Pick something else."

Wrong for a wedding ring. Another convenient excuse to make me yield to Olivia.

And besides, I wasn't marrying him anymore. Why should his opinion matter?

I opened my mouth to tell Cole about the change in grooms, but he'd already scooped Olivia into his arms. "I don't want to hear your justifications. If you keep targeting Liv, I'll have to seriously reconsider our relationship."

I watched his retreating back, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.

'No need, Cole. I've already made that decision for you.'

In the days leading up to the wedding, gossip about Cole and Olivia's romantic getaway flooded every corner of social media. Everyone was waiting to see how I'd react.

The social circle had even started taking bets—most convinced I'd marry Cole no matter how many times he abandoned me. Word had it that when Olivia learned the families were planning another wedding, she'd thrown in her entire savings, hoping to cash in.

This time, though, she was about to lose every last cent.

On the morning of the wedding, my phone rang before I'd even fully woken up. My assistant's voice crackled with panic. "Miss Monroe, Cole and his people are tearing apart the wedding venue!"

He'd fled from his own wedding, and now he wanted to ruin mine?

I arrived at the hotel, fury simmering beneath the surface. Cole stood directing workers to dismantle the flower arrangements. Before I could get a word out, he rounded on me.

"Didn't I tell you we're not getting married yet? What is this—forcing my hand by presenting me with a fait accompli?" He stepped closer, his voice cold. "Liv was very upset about that ring incident. Until she gives her blessing, the wedding's off."

I blocked a worker heading for the door, my voice icy. "Put everything back."

Cole's face darkened. "Don't listen to her!"

He turned to me, sneering. "Don't forget—I'm the Harrington heir. Even if she marries in, she answers to me."

'The heir? Not for much longer, Cole.' I smirked.

I was reaching for my phone to call the Harrington family when Olivia swept through the door in a wedding gown. She twirled, the skirt billowing around her, and batted her eyelashes at Cole. "I only mentioned I liked it, and you insisted I try it on. If you dare say I look bad, you'll pay!"

As if noticing me for the first time, she widened her eyes. "Avery? What are you doing here?"

I caught the accusatory undertone in her voice and smiled coldly. "Do I need your permission to attend my own wedding?" My gaze dropped to the dress. "Are you taking that off yourself, or do I have to get someone to help you?"

Cole stepped protectively in front of her. "Avery, enough!"

He'd trashed my wedding venue and she was wearing a gown that took two years to make—and I was the one going too far?

I turned to the security guards by the door. "Remove them both."

Cole grabbed my wrist, anger blazing in his eyes. "Playing the lady of the house before you've even married in?" He shoved me away and raised his voice. "Take everything out of here and burn it. Let her learn some respect."

The Harrington family, in a gesture of apology, had provided the staff for today's wedding. Unaware that the succession had changed, they scrambled to obey Cole's orders.

I watched a worker carry a portrait from the room and lunged forward. "Put that down."